Process and apparatus for cracking petroleum oil



June 24, 1930.- J. c. MORRELL ET AL A 1,767,695

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CRACKING PETROLEUM OIL Original Filed Feb. 1.1923 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE J'ACQUE C.MORRELL AND HARRY P. BENNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TOUNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFSOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CRACKING PETROLEUM OILApplication filed February 1, 1923, Serial No. 616,371. Renewed June 4,1929.

This invention relates to improvements in a process and apparatus forcracking petroleum oil and refers more particularly to the production ofdistillates having the characteristics of gasoline.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus wherebythe carbon deposited in 'the reaction or evaporating chamber is kept ina .turbulent condition with the 'unvaporized liquids, preventing theaccumulation of a solid carbon formation.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational View of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail of a modified form of construction. Referring to thedrawings, the oil to be treated in this apparatus is introduced throughthe line .1 and may be charged directly through the pipes 2 and 3 to theheating coil 4 positioned in the furnace 5, or by manipulation of thevalves '6 and 'l the oil may be. directed through the line 6 andintroduced into the top of the dephlegmator.

When-charged in the latter manner, the cool oil is utilized as adephlegmating medium and serves to separate out the higher boiling pointfractions from the oil vapors. These higher boiling point oils or.reflux condensate collect with the charging stock in the lower leg ofthe dephlegmator 9 and may be drawn off through the line 10 com trolledby the valve 11 which communicates with the pipe 3 connected to theheating coil 4. The oil charged to the heating coil is raised to aconversion temperature and passes therefrom through the transfer line 12controlled by the valve 13, and is intro-- cluced to the vaporizingchamber 14.

Centrally in the chamber is positioned a rotatable shaft 15 whichissupported by.

- upper and lower bearings, and has mounted thereon agitating paddles 16and scrapers 17 which rotate near the inside walls of the chamber andserve to scrape off any carbon which may accumulate. They also servewith the paddle blades 16 to keep the oil in the chamber in constantagitation.

Positioned in the upper part of the chamber on supports 18 is a vaporturbine 19,

which has prior connection with the shaft her. The vapors evolved in theexpansion or.

vaporizing chamber pass off through the line '22 controlled by the valve23 to the dephlegmator 9 where after being refluxed they pass overthrough the pipe 24 to the condenser coil 25, and arefinally collectedas liquid distillate in the receiver 26. Condenser coil 25 is connectedto the receiver by the pipe 27 regulated by the valve 28.

The distillate from the receiver may be drawn off through the line 29regulated by the valve 30, vor may be recycled by the pump 31 and pipe32 controlledsby the valve 33 to be introduced into the top of thedephlegmator 9 where it may be used to assist in controlling thetemperature of the vapors permitted to pass over to the condenser anddistillate receiver.

The receiver is further equipped with pressure relief pipe 34 controlledby, pipe 35.

Returning to the operation of the vapor turbine for agitating the oil inthe expansion chamber, there is connected into the vapor line 22 a pipe36 in which is interposed a valve 37. Through this pipe may be divertedvapors which are directed into the nozzle of'the turbine, and whichdrive the turbine to rotate the agitating paddles and scrapers. Thedetails of the vapor turbine have been purposely omitted, as theparticular type of turbine utilized forms no part of this invention.

An auxiliary relief pipe 4:0,is conneqted into the discharge pipe 38,and by control of the valve 41 in the pipe 40 and the valve 42 inthepipe 38, the discharged vapors may be diverted from the condenser ifdesired.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 2, in place of usingthe vapor turbine the transfer line 12 may be extended as shown at 12into the chamber and fitted with a nozzle to play upon the buckets ofthe liquid power wheel 43 mounted upon'the shaft 44 similarly positionedas the shaft lfi'shown in Fig. 1. The turbulator or agitating propeller16 and scra er 17 are similarly mounted upon the sha t, the onlydifference being in the power used to rotate the shaft.

As explained in Fig. 1 the vapors evolved in the chamber are recycledand utilized in the vapor turbine while the fluid oil constituentstraveling at high velocity from the heating coil are played directlyupon the power wheel 43 to rotate the agitating members and keep thedeposited carbon in suspension in the unvaporized reflux.

It has been observed that the carbon is deposited in the vaporizingchamber in the form of dispersed coke or hydrocarbon material, Thisdispersed hydrocarbon substance agglomerates and forms coke in bulk, orin what amounts to a solid body.

It is the purpose of this invention to keep the liquidoil constituentsin the vaporizing chamber in constant agitation, and this free carbon insuspension, preventing the agglomeration dueto settling and heattreatment, i

In connection with the agitation of the oil in the chamber, it is alsoessential that the residuum be continuously or intermittently drawn offin order to keep the unvaporized products at a proper fluidity, for ifthe carbon is permitted-to collect in excess of the liquid present, itwill agglomerateand solidify in spite of the agitation produced by therotating members.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tube anddrum oil cracking apparatus, of mechanical agitating means positioned insaid drum, means for utilizing the expansive force of the vapors evolvedfrom the oil in said drum for posi tively driving said mechanicalagitating means to maintain the liquid oil in the ex pansion chamber ina turbulent condition and prevent substantial deposition of carbontherein and means for removing the vapors used to drive said agitatingmeans from said drum. 1

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with an enlargedchamber for containing hydrocarbon oil under cracking conditions of heatand pressure, ofmechanical agitating means positioned in said chamber,means for utilizing the expansive force of vapors evolved from the oilin said chamber for positively actuating said mechanical agitating meansand means for removing vapors from said chamber.

3. In a device of theclass described, the

memes combination with an enlarged chamber adapted to containhydrocarbon oil under cracking conditions of temperature and pressure, avapor outlet from said chamber, mechanical agitating means positioned insaid chamber, adapted to maintain hydro carbon oil therein in aturbulent condition, a turbine for actuating said mechanical agitatingmeans, positioned within said chamher, a conduit for leading vapors fromsaid vapor outlet into operative relation with respect to said turbine,whereby the expansive force of the vapors evolved from the oil in saidchamber is utilized for positively actuatingsaid mechanical agitatingmeans and means for discharging the vapors passed to said turbine fromsaid chamber.

a, In a process of hydrocarbon oil conversion for producing from higherboiling point mineral hydrocarbon oils lower boiling point hydrocarbondistillates, amenable to refining for use as a motor fuel, whichconsists in heating the oil to a conversion temperature under asuperatmospheric pressure, by passing it in an elongated restrictedserpentine stream through a heating zone,

discharging the heated oil into an enlargedzone of accumulation wherevapors are evolved from the oil, and subjecting the products in. saidzone of accumulation to mechanical. agitation, the improvement whichconsists in utilizing the expansive force of the vapors evolved from theoil in the zone of accumulation to supply power for such mechanicalagitation.

JACQUE C. MOERELL. HARRY, P. BENNER.

